All posts by Stephen Cooke

Throwing Open the Doors to Freedom from Trafficking and Exploitation. Feb 6th 2025

Dear Friends,
 
Thanks to so many of you who were with us for our NJPN Webinar
 

Throwing Open the Doors to Freedom from Trafficking and Exploitation.

 

You will find the recording HERE

We promised to share some of the resources / links that were referenced last night
  1. https://santamartagroup.org/
  2. The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita
  3. Let the Oppressed Go Free Video – Timothy Schmalz HERE
  4. Talitha Kum Marathon online Prayer Service this weekend in honour of St. Bakhita you can join in from 10.30am this morning HERE
  5. RENATE
  6. Talitha Kum
  7. Mary Ward Loreto
 
I attach for your consideration: (please click below to download)
  1. The Prayer we used last night, that was especially composed for this event.
  2. Sr. Imelda’s Slide Deck
  3. Santa Marta Training-Handbook.
This year we are being called to “Pilgrims of Hope” and last night there was a resounding call to action: But what can you do?
 
  1. Watch and Share this recording with others.
  2. Check out the Santa Marta Website.
  3. Get to know Josephine Bakhita’s Story a little better.
  4. Write to your elected representative (sample letter HERE)
  5. Keep up with our other JNPN events HERE
  6. Become an NJPN Member HERE
“If we just do the ordinary things well” Sr. Imelda
 
To all who attended last evening, thank you so much but a special thanks to Sr. Imelda Poole who is working in Albania and to Kevin Hyland whose generosity of time and experience made last night’s event one to remember.
 
Brian O’ Toole
of the
National Justice and Peace Network

NJPN Conference 2025 – Bookings now open

Thank you for your interest in Conference 2025 ‘Towards a Just Peace’.
 
Once you have read the Conference Details and Terms and Conditions, and are happy to go ahead and book please do one of the of following: – 
 
  1. Save the Word version of the Booking Form to your computer, fill it in, and then email it to admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk, letting us know whether you will be paying by Bank Transfer or Cheque (details on the T’s & C’s document).
 
or
 
  1. Fill in the Microsoft Form on this link : – https://forms.office.com/e/RVEEAE8b9b
or
 
3. Fill in the Microsoft form below:
 

 
 
 
If you are able to Gift Aid please contact us directly and we will ask you to fill in a form. If you have attended previous Conferences and your Gift Aid circumstances have changed, please also email admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk.
 
Please note that we will not be able to offer single night stays, or day visitor places until nearer the time. If you are interested in going onto a waiting list, please email us on the above address.
 
 

NW NJPN JUSTICE AND PEACE E BULLETIN FEBRUARY 2025

The February edition of the NW NJPN JUSTICE AND PEACE E-BULLETIN leads with news of the ceasefire in Gaza. We join with Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger’s prayer (page 2) for a true and lasting peace to bring reconciliation, justice and hope for all. A group from Justice and Peace Scotland are currently visiting the Holy Land – you can read their reflections on page 3 and catch up with the next stage of their pilgrimage via their Facebook page. Heather Kiernan has sent an update from the Hands up Project which connects young people from Palestine to the rest of the world by sharing stories, poetry and drama. HUP’s Trustees are keen to recruit more Youth Ambassadors (so far there are only 6) to establish new links with schools in the UK to Gaza and also strengthen existing partnerships – read more on pages 5-7.

On pages 8-9 Ian Linden gives a comprehensive – and fascinating – overview of Russia’s & China’s scramble for Africa. This Friday, 24 January, Catholic Schools are joining together to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope Launch Day for Schools, as children and young people embark on a journey as “pilgrims of hope” (report on page 9).  On page 10 Ellen Teague of The Columbans describes 3 “Jubilee” years that she has prepared for and reminds readers that the deadline for the current Columban competition, “Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope,” for 13-18 year olds closes in three weeks’ time, on 7 February. 

There are links to the most recent podcasts in Theresa Alessandro’s series All Kinds of Catholic (page 11) which cover a broad range of topics. Christian Aid warns of the cost of climate change, both financially and to the planet.  A Rocha UK is supporting the Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill as it progresses through Parliament and nears a crucial stage, its second reading, on Friday 24 January – do please urge your MP to add their backing – follow the links on page 12.

Finally, page 13 has a very full diary of local, regional and national events.  Don’t forget to send news from your area for the next issue.

Best wishes

Anne O’Connor

NW NJPN Justice and Peace E Bulletin February 2025 

NJPN: Opening the Doors to Freedom from Human Trafficking

The first NJPN event of this Jubilee Year will take place on Thursday February 6th from 7pm – 8.30pm
The evening will be facilitated by Brian O’ Toole, who is a member of the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) Executive, (APT Ireland) and the Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking in Europe (RENATE) and Talitha Kum.

At this event you will learn a little more about the insidious issue of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery in the UK and importantly what we can do as “Pilgrims of Hope” during this Jubilee Year to help victims of Human Trafficking as we shine a light on this important issue.

Click here to sign up – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd16FG37Hvq93rw1yQBHYUJZ6JFvGb5HBeAOy-hE043wkel9Q/viewform

Dear Friends,

Firstly, may we take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year.
  

The National Justice and Peace Network 

are delighted to be able to advertise our first event of this Jubilee Year entitled

Opening the Doors to Freedom from Human Trafficking

on 

Thursday February 6th at 7pm – 8.30pm

(See Flyer above, or download below)

Meeting Poster

 

Liverpool J&P Commission Peace Sunday event

Dear Friends

I wanted to let you know of an upcoming event on Peace Sunday January 19th 2025

“A Mother’s Forgiveness”  Peace Sunday Mass followed by Gee Walker talk,  19th January 2025, 11am

After Mass at the Cathedral, join Gee Walker who will talk about the murder of her son Anthony, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice.  This is a partnership event by Pax Christi and the Liverpool Justice and Peace Commission.  For more details A Mother’s Forgiveness: Gee Walker talks about the tragic death of her son Anthony (19-Jan-2025) · ChurchSuite Events

Archbishop Malcolm will be celebrating the Mass at 11am and following this there will be light refreshments. Gee Walker’s talk will begin at 1:15pm. If you wish to attend this talk, please could you sign up using the link above. Thank you. If you have any difficulties doing that, or need any further information, please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you on 19th.

Best wishes

Justine Silcock

Co-chair Archdiocese of Liverpool J&P Commission

NW NJPN E BULLETIN JANUARY 2025

To start off the New Year we’re shining a spotlight on some of the dreamers and thinkers who feature regularly in these bulletins with reflections to challenge and inspire us: Rev’d Jon Swales, David Gee, Jenny Sinclair, Jon Kuhrt and Ian Linden.  There is information about the 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ which runs from December 26, 2024 to the feast of the Epiphany in 2026 plus a wealth of resources from Pax Christi to help us celebrate Peace Sunday on 19 January. The diary for January is already looking full – do please send notices of events in early Spring for the next bulletin.

Wishing all our readers every blessing for the New Year.

Anne O’Connor

click here to open – NW NJPN Justice and Peace E Bulletin January 2025 

Winter MouthPeace 2024-2025

Time flies and as we enter Advent it reminds us that it will soon be Christmas and the start of the Jubilee Year.   I have included a few links to Advent resources. I especially recommend the link to Anne O’Connor’s material which she prepared with a friend for her parish. There is a lot of material for reflection either alone or in a group.  There are also items  about peace and justice work in the Jubilee year as various organisations including NJPN have already made plans.  Finally via the Chester World Development Forum I received an interesting article on blue and green hydrogen with the challenges of its use locally and for Africa.
 
Advent blessings
 
Marian
 

Report from November 16th 2024 NJPN Open Networking Day

The following report and images from the November NJPN event are kindly provided by Brian O’Toole from his blog, which can be accessed at The Living Wage Leeds Nov 16 ’24
 
 
 
 

“The Real Living Wage

Leeds Justice & Peace Commission and the NJPN

Wheeler Hall, Leeds Nov 16th 2024

 
 

Opening the Doors to a Real Living Wage. 

Sara spoke to all of her lived experience of poverty and of her connection to the Catholic Church and by extension to Catholic Social Teaching (CST) through her active work in the area of poverty with local priests as advocates. First off, Sara spoke of fact that the real living wage is a growing concern for many working and living in Leeds.  We were reminded that Pope Francis is perhaps the greatest advocate of CST when he explains that we can’t have a real peace when we’re living on the margins. 

Sara began her presentation by explaining that she is part of the growing Living Wage Movement,  and that the view of the youth and the young is paramount given that the impact of the lack of the real living wage impacts disproportionately on children and youth. Growing up in Cowgate and going to school in Blakelaw Comprehensive school, she remembers that a school inspection proclaimed that her school was the worst performing school in England given that most of students graduating did so with no GCSE grade at all. “Failing is what happened at Blakelaw Comprehensive, which had one of the worst, if not the worst, attendance and GCSE records in the country.” (Guardian). The school and the community that it served were entrenched in desperate poverty. And the real difficulty now is that things are just as bad and perhaps even worse. Back when Sara was going to school if you were at work you could eat, you could manage. Now, however, being in work is no guarantee that you can eat well or even at all in some cases. We now have a large cohort of the population known as the working poor where what they earn just won’t cover the basics. 

Sara, reminded us that we were all gathered here because we believe that we can eradicate poverty and she was about to explain that one way is to campaign strategically for the introduction of the living wage. 

And so the question posed is exactly how can we work to bring about a situation where the Living Wage becomes a reality for those who can be considered to amongst the furthest behind. 

 
 

Sara was able to explain that currently 30% of children living in the UK are living in poverty and that over half the homes with 3 or more children are houses where the children are being described as living in poverty. 36% of all lone parents with a child under 5 years of age are living in poverty.  She also told us that currently a child born into poverty is more than likely to be an adult living in poverty with little prospect of mobility. And alarmingly, 70% of children living in poverty are living in homes where there is a parent working!

The two child limit is just another tool that conspires to people being kept poor. (What is the 2 child benefit cap?) Increasingly your likelihood to be living in poverty is increased by both gender and race.  We cannot get away from the growth of the foodbank over the last 20 years and the exponential growth of dependents that cannot survive without this support. It must be said that increasingly those in work are now approaching foodbanks out of sheer necessity and that the approach is very often made by the mother.

 
 
 

There is no getting away from the fact that we are experiencing the worst ‘Cost of Living Crisis” in over 30 years where essentials like food have increased by as much as 20% with no commensurate rise in earnings. It has also been noted that there has been a significant increase in the costs of energy that filters down to impact those in poverty first, fastest and most.  Last year the Trussel Trust explained that for the first time they donated in excess of 3,000,000 food parcels last year with over 760,000 people attending for the first time. There is a deepening crisis that gives way to a deepening distress that is frankly unacceptable. Life expectancy can be reduced by as much as 15 years and the health outcomes for those living in poverty are declining.  

Currently there are over 3.4 million people in insecure work with over 25% of them living in the North East of England. Among those are people working in social care when their shift can be cancelled without notice meaning that their earnings are indeed precarious. Among those most affected are women, ethnic and older workers. The first casualty of poverty is the mother who will go without food to be sure that her children do not have to do without. Our response is that we can do something about this. The proliferation of foodbanks is a help but doesn’t address the structural issues that conspire to ensure that those in poverty may indeed become trapped in poverty.  The Real Living Wage Campaign first began it’s work by campaigning for better conditions for families that would allow parents and children more time with each other. 

A decision was taken to approach the HSBC and Barclays Bank first by letter to ask for the living wage to be given to all employees. The letter went unanswered and the staff bought a one pound share in the bank affording them rights to attend shareholders meetings and to pose questions and insist on certain items being on the agenda. With a priest as an advocate at the meeting the successful outcome was to ensure that the minimum wage of £12.20 was increased to the living wage of £13.60. Success here was key to bringing the possibility of bringing about the living wage in other large and public institutions. 

 

What is the extent of the problem?

 

Who suffers most, first and fastest?

 

And what about the North East in particular?

 

From the Households Below Adequate Income Study 2022 / 2023

 

What business is slowly learning is that employees with the real living wage are working in businesses that continue to prosper.  When Newcastle University were asked to consider offering the living wage to employees they at first refused and this was par for the course and so those working to ensure a living wage had to think imaginatively and strategically to ensure that those with decision making powers got the message and so at a Board Meeting notes written on napkins were passed to board members alerting them to the issue and subsequently Newcastle University caved and now paid the living wage. What is now apparent is that we can’t wait for elections or politicians. We must take the initiative and take the lived experience and stories of those in poverty to those who can make the changes required. 

 
 

Sara also told us of the Reuben Brothers who have bought the local football club and in an effort to be seen to support local people and causes they offered to match donations at match grounds to the local foodbank. However, when it was pointed out to them that this donation that they are making so publicly is a contradiction in terms, given that those who will make use of the foodbank are their staff who are left with little option but to use this service given the low standard of pay they receive. It was pointed out to the brothers that perhaps the more appropriate response would be to pay the Living Wage to all employees so that then there would be no need for them to approach the foodbank in the first place. After some “to-ing and fro-ing,” this came to pass and this was yet another example of the living wage being paid in a public institution.

 
 

Leeds Council are amenable to paying the living wage but this is only the tip of the iceberg, those who adopt the Living Wage take on the responsibility of offering fair and respectful contracts, that remove the “zero hours” element that have become so prevalent and are not just family unfriendly but regularly leave the worker in poverty. We must remember that the aim of each and every foodbank is to cease to operate because there is no need. A fair contract empowers, and now we are also seeing community shops, food pantries and church larders all supplementing those in need, quietly and efficiently staving off the hunger of the nation. “By campaigning for the real Living Wage we are doing the Gospel corporately – and as a practicing Catholic the more I practice the better I get!” – Sir John Battle (organiser)

 

The next event that will help all to learn a little more about the Living Wage will be online on Dec 4th next. Scan the code or Register HERE 

 
 

In the afternoon, Sir John Battle facilitated a  round table discussion with:

Other points that came up:

 

As the event was over at 3.30pm I had an hour to spend in Leeds before heading for home and some the photos below were taken on my wander around. (feel free to use any for any reason – no need to ask for permission!)”